Saturday 25 / July / 2026
The System of Ownership of Real Estate in Integrated Tourism Complexes, promulgated by Royal Decree No. 12/2006 as amended up to Royal Decree No. 76/2010, together with its Executive Regulation issued by Ministerial Decision No. 191/2007 as amended up to Ministerial Decision No. 109/2022, establishes the legal framework governing real estate ownership in Oman’s Integrated Tourism Complexes (ITCs), where both Omanis and non-Omanis may acquire property in accordance with the law.
In an exclusive interview with Times of Oman, Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Zadjali, Chairman of Mohammed Ibrahim Law Firm, explained that “Omani and non-Omani individuals or companies may own built units or plots designated for construction or exploitation in an ITC for residential or investment purposes.”
“This general right, however, is narrower in one governorate: in Musandam, non-Omanis are limited to acquiring already-built units under a usufruct arrangement for a period not exceeding 99 years. The Ministerial Committee for Tourism may also, where the public interest requires it, notify the Governmental Licensing Committee not to grant integrated tourism complex status to specific sites where it deems ownership should be restricted to Omanis only. Two natural persons who are first-degree relatives may jointly hold ownership of a built unit or plot of land, subject to terms and conditions of the law,” he noted.
He further stated that “an owner who registers a plot in their name must complete construction, or put the land to its intended use, within four years of registration.
“On the recommendation of the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Housing may grant a further extension of up to two years where the owner applies before the original period lapses and provides sufficient justification. Before completion, the owner cannot sell or otherwise dispose of the plot, apart from mortgaging it strictly to finance the building work.”
“Ownership also carries residency benefits. A non-Omani who owns a completed unit may obtain renewable residency for himself and his first-degree relatives. Owners of undeveloped plots intended for construction and their first-degree relatives instead receive a multi-entry investor visa, renewed every two years until construction is finished,” he said.
Developers and owners found in violation of these legal provisions face warnings, corrective orders, and fines, separate from any other penalty under Omani law, he concluded.
(Mohammed Ibrahim Law Firm ([email protected]), (+968 244 87 600) was established on 14th December 2006 and is serving clients through its offices in Muscat and Sohar, as well as operating on a request basis in other areas. It offers legal representation across a wide range of practice areas that include Labour Law, Corporate, Commercial, Contracts, Banking and Finance, International Trade, Foreign Investment, Insurance, Maritime Law, Construction and Engineering Contracts, International Arbitration, Intellectual Property and more).
